Liverpool face Southampton this afternoon in the Premier League at Anfield.
The Reds currently sit 19 points clear at the top of the table whilst the Saints have put together some fine results to leap into ninth place.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have won five of their last seven league matches, including morale-boosting victories over Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
As reported by The Athletic reporter James Pearce, Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for the Saints. He said:
The turnaround there is sensational. I won manager of the month but for me, it was Ralph (Hasenhüttl).
They look like a pressing machine at the highest level.
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Klopp beat Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Watford’s Nigel Pearson to the December Manager of the Month award.
The Saints lost twice in six December matches and we feel that Hasenhuttl should be in the running for January’s award after leading the club to three league wins out of four.
In October, the Saints were emphatically beaten 9-0 at St Mary’s by Leicester City and it seemed the club would be in for a tough relegation battle.
However, the recent run of good results has transformed their season and we feel that the club has a genuine chance of securing a top-six finish because they’re only three points away from sixth-placed Spurs.
We feel that Klopp’s praise should be a massive boost for the team ahead of the clash because it shows that he is appreciating their hard work and in some ways, is worried about the threat that they’re going to pose.
